Carry On My Wayward One
by InsanityOverdrive
Summary: Paige Harrison is a quirky yet courageous and determined girl. After she was orphaned at a young age by a demon who had almost taken her life, John Winchester and his sons welcomed her to the life of hunting where she finds herself in a world that she had only imagined in books.
1. An Orphan's Scars

I was only 8 when I watched my parents die. I was an only child, and I was the center of their entire universe. I was blessed with a charmed life of full fridges and bags of money. I can hardly remember the rapid scene that had unfolded before me. It all happened too quickly- my mother and father up against the wall; yelling, screaming, pleading for me save myself, as if I was old enough for my life to have any importance. It was their last words to their daughter before they died. Before their throats were slit by one of the jagged, razor-sharp claws and they were forced to let out their last, gargled breath.

Then I remember it's eyes. They were the only thing visible in the darkness. Gruesome, bloodshot eyes. The irises were pure white, only a tiny black orb for a pupil, staring me dead in my own petrified sockets. Even in the dark, I could tell that it was grinning. Grinning at me. Leaving its mark. Letting me know what it was capable of.

Then it lunged.

It dug its claws into my shoulders, pinning me to the ground. I was helpless there, screaming, crying in pain. I remember that part vividly. It then rose me high above its head, the claws continuing to pierce through more of my flesh.

It was John Winchester who saved my life.

He came barging in through the bedroom door, not hesitating for a second before he started firing rounds of rock salt into the beast who had full intent of having me suffer.

I knew that this creature wasn't dead. It merely vanished after the second shot hit it. I hit the ground- hard, if I might add- with a sharp outcry. It didn't come back the rest of the night, but it did leave its mark.

It left its claws, buried deep into the flesh just underneath my shoulder blades. Four in each side.

John picked me up in his arms, running down the stairs and out of the house. I remember asking him as he ran to his truck, carrying my weak eight year old body, if he was alright. If the demon had hurt him. He didn't answer any of them. He merely set me in the passenger side of his truck and carefully but hurriedly buckling me in and slamming the door, jogging over to the other side of the truck and revving off, far away from the home.

We arrived at a rough, run-down motel. It was definitely not the environment that I was used to, having been treated with diamond earrings and gourmet meals. An alert Dean Winchester greeted us with a beyond questioning look.

"Who's she?" He asked, wide-eyed and skeptical of the bleeding little girl that his father had just laid on the tattered motel sofa.

John didn't answer, he simply commanded the son to grab some rubbing alcohol, a scalpel, forceps, and a few other things. Being the obedient boy he was, Dean was gone and before John could even finish his sentence. He came back with the necessities that his father had asked for, and John was quick to work; pulling out each claw with a scalpel and forceps and dousing each wound with alcohol. I tried my best to stay quiet, to try and look strong... But it was obvious that I was in agony. With every wince, cringe, gasp, and tear the pain had only intensified. A groggy, sleepy-eyed Sammy emerged into the room, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"What's going on...?" He murmured, furrowing his brows. Dean was quick to reassure him and lead him back to bed, sitting with him until he was fast asleep again.

That night, John Winchester saved my life. That night was the night that had started it all.

That night was how my adventure began.


	2. A Rude Awakening

**So... This chapter won't really have anything too interesting ;-; It's just introductions and whatnot. Either way, please read c: It gets better, I promise. **

I woke up the next morning on the same bloodied-up couch that I was on the night before, confused to not be in my own pink-and-white luxury bed that I was used to. I didn't really remember how or when I had fallen asleep; probably passed out from the pain. Either way, when I turned onto my side, a sharp outcry rang out through the motel room. I quickly turned back onto my back with a cringe.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Dean sit up abruptly in a chair that was sitting a few feet away from the couch. Had he been there all night?

"Are you okay?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the seat.

I sat in silence for a few moments. My parents had just died. Brutally. By a creature that was only supposed to exist in nightmares and scary movies. I knew I wasn't dreaming, but I wished with everything that I had that I was. That thing had lunged at me and almost killed me.

But I was saved. Did I even want to be saved? I had just lost my mother and father. I was alone now, and that thought petrified me. A few tears welled up in my eyes and before I knew it, I was sobbing uncontrollably. It was like the everything that had happened had just occurred to me, knocking the breath out of my lungs. Dean shot up from the chair... But he just stood there. I don't think that he knew what to do about the sobbing little girl who had just lost everything.

A few moments passed, and I was merely sniffling now. Dean was still standing, peering down at me.

"I'm... I'm okay..." I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.

The Winchester boy seemed a bit surprised to hear me talk, but my words were enough to reassure him and he sat back down in his chair.

"How l-long have you been t-there?" I asked in the same frail, choked up voice, my question accented by sniffles and hiccups.

It took him a moment to respond. "All night," he answered simply.

"Oh..." I said absently. "Why?" I stared up at the beige ceiling.

"I wanted to make sure you didn't die."

I swallowed a bit and nodded. "Where's John?" I asked curiously, recalling the name that he had told me last night.

"Out. He won't be back for a while." I inferred that Dean wasn't very talkative; that, or he just didn't like me.

A curious little Sam peeked out through the doorway. Dean waved him into the living room and Sammy hesitantly tip-toed in. He stared at me a bit, and I tried my best to put on a decent little smile.

"What's for breakfast?" He asked in a monotone voice, looking over at his brother.

"Cereal." Dean responded, gesturing towards the kitchen area. The youngest Winchester wandered off into the kitchen and opened a cabinet.

"I can't reach, Dean."

Dean flared his nostrils a bit, standing up and starting over to the little brother.

"Here." He said, pulling out a yellow box and practically slamming it on the counter. In the process, he also got out a glass bowl and milk. "Are you hungry?" He called out to me.

My stomach growled a bit, but I simply told him no. He came back into the living room after about a minute. "My dad told me about you... I'm sorry. It's Paige, right?" I just nodded.

"Oh. I'm Dean, and that's my brother. Sam."

"I figured that part out." I said, sitting up a bit with a cringe. I looked down at the gauze wrapped around my shoulders. "Thank you... I know that you had some part in making sure that I didn't... Die." I said with a comical little smile.

"Yeah. Don't mention it-" he began.

But he didn't get to finish before there was a sharp rap on the door.


End file.
